Paramount is releasing the King Kong 1976 Steelbook 4K UHD, the third release in a relative short period of time. This release is a Steelbook with clear sleeve that hides Ann in Kong's hand behind the image of Kong on the front, it includes both the theatrical cut as well as the extended TV cut. At this time it is unclear if this contains any new features from the previous releases, and the price has not been announced, pre-orders should start soon.

King Kong 1976 Steelbook 4K UHD
​Product Description
The Big Apple is again besieged by the monstrous King Kong. Jeff Bridges and Jessica Lange star in this ambitious remake of the 1933 original, which adds a great deal of camp and good fun to the story, Again, the gargantuan ape battles attacking aircraft high above the streets of New York, this time plunging from the top of the World Trade Center to his death amidst thousands of horrified onlookers. King Kong won an Oscar for special effects, and the horror and the thrills are brought anew to another generation in this classy production.

Product details

• MPAA rating: ‎ PG (Parental Guidance Suggested)
• Media Format: ‎ 4K UHD - Blu-ray
• Release date: ‎ April 9, 2024
• Actors: ‎ Jeff Bridges, Charles Grodin, Jessica Lange
• Dubbed:: ‎ English
• Studio: ‎ PARAMOUNT
• Number of discs: ‎ 2
• Retail price:  $32.49

GameMill Entertainment has announced the Skull Island: Rise of Kong video game, the game will be available for Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, PS4, PS5, Nintendo Switch, and PC. Check out the details below including trailer, the game is slated for a Fall 2023 release

​Embark on a third-person action adventure to avenge the death of your parents at the hands of the ultimate alpha predator: Gaw. Conquer waves of primal beasts and defeat your archenemy’s minions to become the rightful king of Skull Island. Cross the mysterious island and discover the history and secrets it hides as you come across swamps, waterfalls, jungles, and caves full of skullites that give power to the flora and fauna of the island.

Skull Island: Rise of Kong Key Features:

• Explore the Origins of the King: Start your journey as the orphaned Kong and experience his evolution to the King of Skull Island as you hunt for revenge against Gaw.
• Unleash the Fury of Kong: Deal devastating combos to dominate Gaw’s ferocious minions, and unleash your rage to heighten the impact of your attacks. Send even the most gargantuan of enemies fleeing with your earth-shattering roar and brutal finishing attacks.
• Ascend to New Heights: Gain new abilities through special events and intense boss fights to unlock Kong’s full potential.
• Discover the Mythos of Skull Island: Explore mountainous terrain, jungles, swamps, skullite-filled caves and more to unearth collectibles, unlock new areas, and learn more about the mysterious history of this faraway land.

Currently, the game is slated for a Fall 2023 release on Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, PS4, PS5, Nintendo Switch, and PC.
(Note this is not based on the Monsterverse Kong.)

King Kong Lives Collector's Edition
The mythology of Kong continues in the world-first blu-ray release of KING KONG LIVES, the sequel to Dino DeLaurentis’ highly successful 1976 reimagining starring Linda Hamilton (Terminator), Brian Kerwin(Murphy’s Romance) and John Ashton (Beverly Hills Cop).

Picking up where the last film left off, Kong is being kept alive in a comatose state at the Atlantic Institute. Monitored by Dr. Amy Franklin (Linda Hamilton), it becomes clear that Kong will need an artificial heart if he is to survive, the problem being that he also desperately needs a blood transfusion. With none of the other known species of apes having the same blood type, adventurer Hank ‘Mitch’ Mitchell (Brian Kerwin) is recruited to traverse the darkest corners of the globe in search of match. He finds what he is looking for in the jungles of Borneo and returns stateside with an unexpected boon, Lady Kong. The resurrection of Kong is a success but when the mighty ape senses that a potential mate is near, he escapes, taking his new paramour with him. When the fanatical Colonel Nevitt (John Ashton) is brought in to retrieve the fugitive lovers but only manages to capture Lady Kong, all hell breaks loose. Can the world survive an enraged King Kong willing to destroy anything and everything that stands between him and his mate?

Director: John Guillermin
Cast: Brian Kerwin; John Ashton; Linda Hamilton

Extras:

• EXCLUSIVE TO THE UMBRELLA WEBSTORE!
• Collector's Edition only available during pre-order
• Includes reversible poster & 6 postcards
• WORLD PREMIERE BLU-RAY RELEASE
• NEW! Audio Commentary by "King Kong: The History of a Movie Icon" author Ray Morton
• NEW! Interview with Miniature Supervisior David M. Jones
• NEW! John Guillermin Lives
• A Video Essay on director John Guillermin by Stephen Vagg
• Trailer

Specs:

• No. of discs: 1
• Running time: 105
• Audio format: 2.0 DTS-HD MA
• Format: 1080P
• Colour: COLOUR
• Languages: English
• Aspect ratio: 16:9
• Subtitles: English HOH
• Year of Production: 1986
• Release Date: 18 Jan 2023
• Retail price $26.00 USD

King Kong 1976 4K Blu-ray/Steelbook
Synopsis
The towering new 4K restoration of the 1976 event movie reimagining of the classic monster story, KING KONG.

Primate paleontologist Jack Prescott (Jeff Bridges) sneaks aboard an expedition to the uncharted Skull Island, warning the ruthless oil executive Fred Wilson (Charles Grodin) against exploiting its resources with an ominous message about "the roar of the greatest beast" from previous doomed explorers. En route they rescue aspiring actress Dwan (Jessica Lange), the sole survivor of a shipwreck.

Upon disembarking on the island they discover a strange primitive world of mystery and danger, where the natives live within the confines of a vast wall to protect them from the giant ape god, Kong. Dwan is abducted and offered as a sacrifice to the savage beast, before the crew rescue her and capture Kong to take him to New York. Wilson views him as a profitable Broadway attraction, but the ape has other ideas and escapes to rampage through the streets of the Big Apple.

Available for the first time on 4K UHD featuring new artwork by Sophie Bland.

​Jeff Bridges (Actor), Charles Grodin (Actor), John Guillermin (Director)

Extras:

• Extended TV Cut (180mins approx.)
• Deleted Scenes
• Interviews with: Barry Nolan, Bill Kronick, Scott Thaler and Jeffrey Chernov, David McGiffert and Brian E. Frankish, Jack O'Hallor, Steve Varner
• Original Trailer
• Audio Commentaries with Ray Morton, Rick Baker

Specs:

• Discs: 2
• Region: A, B, C
• Run time: 2 hours and 15 minutes
• Release date: Nov 28 2022 (?)
• Retail price: $34.99

Pre-order here.
Update: Steelbook cover added)

Shout Factory/Scream Factory is releasing a new Blu-ray for King Kong 1976 on May 11, 2021. It will come with a limited edition 18 x 24 poster featuring new artwork for orders on Shout Factory.com limited to 500. New cover art by Hugh Fleming will be on the front and back with original art on the reverse side, and will come with the original theatrical release and the extended TV version. Updated set details below.

Synopsis
"A dazzling display of what the special-effects people can do when commissioned to construct a 40-foot-tall ape ..." – Vincent Canby, The New York Times

The Petrox company's search for new oil reserves on a strange island unleashes a terror unseen by civilized man – KING KONG! The timeless story of a beauty (Jessica Lange, making her feature-film debut) and a beast comes to the screen in this ambitious production from Dino De Laurentiis. Charles Grodin is the scheming oil company shark out to exploit the giant beast to his fullest. And Jeff Bridges is the desperate hero, Jack Prescott, who attempts to wrest the beautiful heroine from King Kong's grasp. New York City trembles with each echoing footstep of the towering ape set loose in the streets!

RELEASE DATE: May 11, 2021
DISCS: 2 - Collectors Edition (with Slipcase in first three months of release)
RUN-TIME: 136 / 182 min
ASPECT RATIO: 2.35:1
REGULAR RETAIL PRICE: $34.98

​DISC 1: Theatrical Cut

• NEW Audio Commentary with film historian Ray Morton (author of KING KONG – THE HISTORY OF A MOVIE ICON)
• NEW Audio interview with special makeup effects wizard Rick Baker
• NEW Something’s Haywire – an interview with actor Jack O’Halloran
• NEW On the Top of the World - an interview with assistant director David McGiffert and production manager Brian Frankish
• NEW Maybe in their Wildest Dreams – an interview with sculptor Jack Varner
• NEW There’s A Fog Bank Out There – an interview with second unit director William Kronick
• NEW From Space to Apes - an interview with photographic effects assistant Barry Nolan
• NEW When the Monkey Dies, Everybody Cries – an interview with production assistants Jeffrey Chernov and Scott Thaler
• Audio: DTS-HD 5.1 and NEW restored theatrical DTS-HD 2.0 stereo track
• Theatrical Trailer
• TV Spots
• Radio Spots
• Still Galleries – posters, lobby cards, behind-the-scenes photos

DISC 2: Extended TV Broadcast Cut

• NEW 2K scan of the additional TV footage from the internegative
• KING KONG panel discussion from the Aero Theater (2016)

Kong: Skull Island hits stores tomorrow but in Japan it hits one day later with a cool bonus, some Limited Edition Japanese versions will feature the Japanese poster art on the cover (above and below), some others will feature it on at least one of the discs. Most specs are the same as the US versions but with Japanese language track/subtitles included. Of note these are region free discs and include English language as well and these are available from Amazon Japan so they can be shipped overseas. Regular retail is about $35 US.

See the origins of one of the most powerful monster myths of all when Kong: Skull Island arrives onto Ultra HD Blu-ray Combo Pack, Blu-ray 3D Combo Pack, Blu-ray Combo Pack and DVD on July 18, or early on Digital June 20 from Warner Bros. Home Entertainment. This compelling, original adventure from director Jordan Vogt-Roberts (The Kings of Summer) tells the story of a diverse team of scientists, soldiers and adventurers uniting to explore a mythical, uncharted island in the Pacific, as dangerous as it is beautiful.

Kong: Skull Island stars Tom Hiddleston (The Avengers, Thor: The Dark World), Oscar nominee Samuel L. Jackson (Django Unchained, Pulp Fiction), John Goodman (Transformers: Age of Extinction, Argo), Oscar winner Brie Larson (Best Actress winner for Room) and Oscar nominee John C. Reilly (Chicago, Guardians of the Galaxy).

Vogt-Roberts directed the film from a story by John Gatins and Dan Gilroy and a screenplay by Dan Gilroy and Max Borenstein. Kong: Skull Island is produced by Thomas Tull, Mary Parent, Jon Jashni and Alex Garcia, with Eric McLeod and Edward Cheng serving as executive producers.

To fully immerse audiences in the mysterious Skull Island, director Jordan Vogt-Roberts and his team filmed across three continents over six months, capturing its primordial landscapes on Oahu, Hawaii, Australia’s Gold Coast and Vietnam, filming across multiple locations, some of which have never before been seen on film.

Kong: Skull Island will be available on Ultra HD Blu-ray Combo Pack for $44.95, Blu-ray 3D Combo Pack for $44.95, Blu-ray Combo Pack for $35.99 and DVD for $28.98. The Ultra HD Blu-ray Combo Pack features an Ultra HD Blu-ray disc with the theatrical version in 4K with HDR and a Blu-ray disc also featuring the theatrical version. The Blu-ray 3D Combo Pack features the theatrical version of the film in 3D hi-definition and hi-definition; the Blu-ray Combo Pack features the theatrical version of the film in hi-definition on Blu-ray; and the DVD features the theatrical version in standard definition. The Ultra HD Blu-ray Combo Pack, Blu-ray 3D Combo Pack and Blu-ray Combo Pack include a digital version of the movie. Fans can also own Kong: Skull Island via purchase from digital retailers beginning June 20.

This compelling, original adventure tells the story of a diverse team of scientists, soldiers and adventurers uniting to explore a mythical, uncharted island in the Pacific, as dangerous as it is beautiful. Cut off from everything they know, the team ventures into the domain of the mighty Kong, igniting the ultimate battle between man and nature. As their mission of discovery becomes one of survival, they must fight to escape a primal Eden in which humanity does not belong.

BLU-RAY AND DVD ELEMENTS
Kong: Skull Island Ultra HD Blu-ray, 3D Blu-ray and Blu-ray Combo Pack contain the following special features:
· Director’s Commentary
· Creating a King: Realizing an Icon
· Creating a King: Summoning a God
· Monarch Files 2.0
· Tom Hiddleston: The Intrepid Traveler
· Through the Lens: Brie Larson’s Photography
· On Location: Vietnam
· Deleted Scenes

Kong: Skull Island Standard Definition DVD contains the following special features:
· Director’s Commentary
· Creating a King: Realizing an Icon
· Creating a King: Summoning a God
· Monarch Files 2.0
· Tom Hiddleston: The Intrepid Traveler
· Through the Lens: Brie Larson’s Photography
· On Location: Vietnam
· Deleted Scenes

Check out our previous post on the release featuring the Best Buy Steelbook, and the King Kong (2005) 4K release here.

King Kong to open on Broadway in Fall 2018 at the Broadway Theatre.

Producers Global Creatures (CEO Carmen Pavlovic) and Roy Furman are pleased to announce that King Kong, will arrive on Broadway in the fall of 2018 at the Shubert Organization’s Broadway Theatre.

King Kong’s first preview, press opening, and on-sale dates will be announced in the coming months. King Kong will play the Broadway Theatre following the limited engagement of Miss Saigon which as previously announced will begin its North American tour in September 2018.

King Kong is written by Jack Thorne, who received the 2017 Olivier Award and the Evening Standard Award for Best Play for Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, and wrote the critically acclaimed play Let the Right One In.

The show will be directed and choreographed by Drew McOnie, an Olivier Award winner for the London production of In the Heights and an Olivier Award nominee this year for Jesus Christ Superstar. McOnie directed the U.K. premiere of Baz Luhrmann’s Strictly Ballroom The Musical, and the recent London productions of The Wild Party and On the Town.

The score for King Kong is composed by four-time Grammy nominee Marius de Vries (the films La La Land, Moulin Rouge, and Romeo + Juliet) with songs by Helpmann Award winner Eddie Perfect, composer and lyricist of the Broadway-bound Beetlejuice, Strictly Ballroom The Musical and Shane Warne The Musical.

Pioneering creature designer Sonny Tilders developed Kong for the show, bringing together the worlds of animatronics and puppetry that has never been seen on stage before. Tilders was honored by the Helpmann Awards, Australia’s highest theatrical honor, for Outstanding Theatrical Achievement.

Carmen Pavlovic said, “I’m thrilled that King Kong will be coming to Broadway next season led by Drew McOnie and Jack Thorne, who will bring a new dimension to the telling of Kong’s story. Drew’s physical world will allow Kong to live in ways we never thought possible, propelled by Jack’s text and the score and songs written by Marius de Vries and Eddie Perfect.”

Producer Roy Furman said, “King Kong is a quintessential New York story and I’m proud to be involved in this historic production. Our team is creating a theatrical experience that we hope will astound audiences, while delighting them with its heartfelt storytelling."

Based on the novel of the original 1933 screenplay, the stage show of King Kong is a contemporary take on the classic tale of beauty and the beast.

King Kong’s design team for Broadway will include Peter England (Set Design), Sonny Tilders (Creature Design), Roger Kirk (Costume Design), Peter Mumford (Lighting Design), Peter Hylenski (Sound Design), Gavin Robins (Aerial and King Kong Movement Director),

King Kong is authorized by the Merian C. Cooper Estate.

Casting, additional members of the creative team, and ticketing details for King Kong will be announced at a later date.

Update: Tickets for Kong are on sale with dates for previews on Friday, October 5, 2018, with an official opening date on November 8. More info on the cast once available, for official website click here.

BIOGRAPHIES

JACK THORNE (Text) writes for theatre, film, television, and radio. His theatre credits include Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, Hope, and Let The Right One In, all directed by John Tiffany; Junkyard, a Headlong, Rose Theatre Kingston, Bristol Old Vic and Theatr Clwyd co-production; The Solid Life of Sugarwater for Graeae Theatre Company and the National Theatre; Bunny for the Edinburgh Fringe Festival; Stacy for the Trafalgar Studios; 2nd May 1997 and When You Cure Me for the Bush Theatre. His adaptations include Woyzeck, Old Vic; The Physicists for the Donmar Warehouse and Stuart: A Life Backwards for Hightide. On film his credits include Wonder, War Book, A Long Way Down, and The Scouting Book for Boys. For television his credits include “National Treasure” (2017 BAFTA winner), “The Last Panthers,” “Don’t Take My Baby,” “This Is England,” “The Fades,” “Glue,” and “Cast-Offs.” He won 2016 BAFTAs for Best Mini-Series (“This Is England ’90”) and Best Single Drama (“Don’t Take My Baby”), and in 2012 won Best Series (“The Fades”) and Best Serial (“This Is England ’88”).

DREW McONIE (Director, Choreographer) is one of Britain's most sought-after emerging directors and choreographers. He is the Artistic Director of The McOnie Company and a proud Associate Artist at The Old Vic theatre. Drew won the Olivier Award for Best Theatre Choreography for In the Heights in 2016 and he was nominated for the same award in 2017 for the ground-breaking production of Jesus Christ Superstar at Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre. Theatre credits as director/choreographer include: On the Town (Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre); The Wild Party (The Other Palace); Strictly Ballroom (Toronto/West Yorkshire Playhouse). Theatre credits as a choreographer include: Jesus Christ Superstar (Olivier Award Nomination for Best Theatre Choreography 2017 – Regents Park), Kinky Boots (Malmo Opera), In the Heights (Olivier Award Winner for Best Theatre Choreography, WhatsOnStage Award Nomination for Best Choreography, Winner of the Off West End Theatre Award for Best Choreography – Southwark Playhouse and Kings Cross Theatre), The Lorax (Old Vic), Hairspray (BroadwayWorld Award Winner for Best Choreography – U.K. national tour), Bugsy Malone (Lyric Hammersmith), Oklahoma! (U.K. national tour), The Sound of Music (Curve Theatre Leicester), Little Red Riding Hood (NYB), Chicago (Curve Theatre Leicester), West Side Story (NYMT), British Style (collaboration with Matthew Bourne at Buckingham Palace – BBC), Laurel and Hardy (The Watermill), James and the Giant Peach (U.K. national tour), 13 (directed by Jason Robert Brown – West End), Tommy (European tour), Spring Awakening (German premiere – Frankfurt), The Full Monty (German premiere – Frankfurt), Kes (Liverpool Playhouse & U.K. national tour). For The McOnie Company: Jekyll and Hyde (BroadwayWorld Award Winner for Outstanding Achievement in Dance – Old Vic Theatre), DRUNK! (Curve Theatre Leicester/ The Bridewell Theatre London) which lead to him being nominated for the Emerging Artist Award at the National Dance Awards, Making Midnight (Jermyn Street Theatre/ Latitude Festival) Slaughter (Audience Choice Award Winner – The Place Prize), and Be Mine! (Robin Howard Theatre). Film credits include: Me BeforeYou (directed by Thea Sharrock) and Recordare: Days of Remembrance (pre-selected for the Cannes & Berlin Film Festivals). Upcoming projects include: choreographer of Stephen Sondheim’s Company (directed by Marianne Elliott for the new Elliott Harper Theatre Company in the West End).

MARIUS DE VRIES (Composer) has won two BAFTAs, an Ivor Novello award, and four Grammy nominations.  He is best known recently for his music direction and production on the multi-award-winning musical La La Land, which won 2017 Academy and Golden Globe Awards. Beginning his career playing keyboards for The Blow Monkeys, he has worked with artists such as Madonna, Bjork, David Bowie, Rufus Wainwright, Chrissie Hynde, Neil Finn, Annie Lennox, Bebel Gilberto, David Gray, P.J. Harvey, U2, Massive Attack, Elbow, Perry Farrell, Josh Groban, and many others. In the film and theatre world, he has collaborated with Baz Luhrmann, George Lucas, Andrew Lloyd Webber, A.R. Rahman, Zack Snyder, Daniel Kramer, and Stephan Elliott.  De Vries' long collaborative relationship with Nellee Hooper was responsible for landmark recordings with Massive Attack, Björk, Madonna, The Sneaker Pimps, Tina Turner, and U2, and ultimately the soundtrack and score for Baz Luhrmann's Romeo + Juliet and the groundbreaking Moulin Rouge.  Marius composed the score for Stephan Elliot’s The Eye of the Beholder and Easy Virtue. In musical theatre, Marius has worked with Andrew Lloyd Webber on Bombay Dreams and the sequel to The Phantom of the Opera: Love Never Dies. He also produced the cast album for Jerry Springer The Opera. In 2010, Marius contributed score and song productions to Kick-Ass and Sucker Punch, as well as co-producing an LP with Robbie Robertson. Another collaboration with Rufus Wainwright arrived in early 2016, an album of musical settings of nine Shakespearean sonnets, released to coincide with the 400th anniversary of Shakespeare's death, entitled Take all My Loves. Marius worked on George Lucas' animated fairytale musical, Strange Magic. He is now attached to Teen Spirit, starring Elle Fanning, directed by Max Minghella, and earlier this year he signed an agreement with the English National Opera to develop new and adventurous opera-related projects. He is also completing an album with The Pretenders’ Chrissie Hynde.

EDDIE PERFECT (Songwriter) is one of Australia’s most diverse, respected and prolific writer/composer/performers, having made his mark in the fields of comedy, music theatre composition, playwriting, screenwriting, classical music, jazz and acting for stage and screen.  Perhaps best known for his portrayal of Mick Holland on Ten’s Offspring, a judge on Australia's Got Talent, and as the new host of Play School, Eddie has won multiple awards for his work both as a performer and a writer. His stage credits include Baz Lurhmann and Global Creatures’ Strictly Ballroom, Malthouse Theatre Company (Babes InThe Wood, Drink Pepsi Bitch, The Big Con), Shane Warne The Musical, Keating! The Musical, Songs From The Middle in collaboration with ANAM, Iain Grandage and the UK’s Brodsky Quartet, Opera Victoria’s The Threepenny Opera and Opera Australia’s South Pacific.  His solo music comedy shows (Angry Eddie, Drink Pepsi Bitch, Misanthropology) have received Helpmann and Green Room Awards, touring Australia, New Zealand, Edinburgh and London. His first play The Beast (for Melbourne Theatre Company) was a commercial and critical hit, before touring Australia with Ambassador Theatre Group in 2016. Eddie is currently writing a new play (Vivid White) for Melbourne Theatre Company, a musical adaptation of Beetlejuice for Warner Bros. Theatricals in New York, and is co-Artistic Director of Adelaide Cabaret Festival.  

While Kong: Skull Island is finishing up it's release in theaters we have now found out it's release date for home video. Kong: Skull Island will be released on 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray, 3-D Blu-ray, Blu-ray, and DVD on July 18. Best Buy will be offering an exclusive SteelBook version featuring the 4K, 3-D, Blu-ray, and digital copy for $39.99. The non-SteelBook 4K version will retail for $34.99, Blu-ray/DVD for $27.99, and DVD for $19.99. There is no word yet on any bonus content (deleted scenes, behind the scenes, etc.). We will update once we have more info.

Also being released the week before on July 11 will be the 4K version of 2005's King Kong, the King Kong Ultimate Edition 4K Blu-ray features three disc (details below)and retail for $39.99. The film has previously been released but not the 4K version.

As we thought Kong: Skull Island passed King Kong 2005 in it's worldwide box office numbers, they are estimates but should hold. Skull Island is now at $552.3 million, King Kong 2005 finished with $550.5 million (it has already passed Godzilla 2014).

Skull Island's box office numbers have been helped by the international box office which accounts for about 70% of the total take by the film, $391 million. Both Godzilla 2014 and King Kong did around $330 million internationally (China has been Kong: Skull Islands biggest market), Skull Island trails both in the US but has still had a strong showing.

​Skull Island has held up pretty well despite having some major films being released right after it, Beauty And The Beast, Boss Baby, Power Rangers, and The Fate of the Furious this weekend, as well as Logan right before.